To Address Learning Gaps, Go Deeper→

Kristina Kyles-Smith, writing for ASCD:

In addressing post-pandemic learning gaps, I encourage educators to stay proactive in examining and challenging the existing structures, policies, and practices that perpetuate the overemphasis on remediation and limit opportunities for certain students.

I couldn't agree more. In fact, I'd go further to argue that deeper learning shouldn't just be an alternative to remediation; it should be the primary tier 1 instructional strategy for all students, irrespective of their academic standing.

Aligning Classroom Practices with Community Aspirations for Deeper Learning

Yesterday, I shared the BCPS Graduate Profile video, describing what the Bay City community collectively wants for graduates. Today, I want to share its companion video describing our Deeper Learning initiative, where theory becomes part of our teaching practice.

By aligning instruction with the skills and values our community holds dear, we create a more cohesive and effective educational experience. This isn't just about ticking boxes on a standard assessment; it's about synchronizing our educational goals with real-world needs and expectations. When every stakeholder, from teachers and administrators to parents and community leaders, is on the same page, that's when we see transformative growth in our students.

Graduate Profile: How Community Engagement Can Shape the Future

This video encapsulates the collective vision we're building for Bay City Public Schools. It represents extensive community engagement—listening sessions, business summits, parent roundtables, you name it. I love how the video describes our graduate profile through voices in our community.

Leading this work has been so rewarding. It's the embodiment of what I've always believed: that when schools and communities align, magic happens. We're not just aiming for academic benchmarks; we're nurturing problem-solvers, communicators, and critical thinkers. This is about efficiency, yes, but it's also about effectiveness—about making sure our educational system is as agile and adaptable as the world our students will enter. When we listen to our community, we're not just being inclusive; we're unlocking the doors to innovation and long-term success.

The Power of Questions→

Amanda Cullen, writing for Mathematics Teacher Learning and Teaching PK-12:

"The questions that a teacher asks a student and how the teacher follows up on the student’s response can support the student’s development of a positive mathematical identity and sense of agency as a thinker and doer of mathematics"

I love to see quotes like this, especially from math teachers. Teaching is not just about getting the right answer, but about nurturing students’ beliefs in their own capabilities, fostering their agency, and shaping their identity as confident problem solvers.

The American Dream is Really Faded→

Economist Raj Chetty was interviewed on Steve Levitt’s People I (Mostly) Admire podcast in September 2022, where he discussed his research on intergenerational mobility in the United States. Chetty shared two stunning facts from his research, one being that of American children born in 1940, 90% would grow up to earn more than their parents, but now, 50 years later, less than half of people grow up to earn more than their parents.

Raj Chetty:

We have an enormous amount of growth over the past 30 years. And on average, we have a lot more total output. People are richer, on average, than they were 30 years ago. So, how can it be that only 50 percent of kids are doing better than their parents? And the answer is, take an extreme example. Suppose one person — say, Jeff Bezos or Bill Gates —got all of the gains in G.D.P. over the past 30 years. Then you could have a tremendous amount of G.D.P. growth and you’d still have only 50 percent of kids doing better than their parents.

Using historical IRS data, he has created an extraordinary resource at opportunityatlas.org where you can type in an address and look up children’s likelihood of earning an income that exceeds their parents at the age of 35. I lost a couple of hours on the site. Highly recommended.

Optimisism about the future of education in a world of AI→

Ethan Mollick, writing for One Useful Thing:

I actually think the opposite is true: education will be able to adapt to AI far more effectively than other industries, and in ways that will improve both learning and the experience of instructors.

During a recent meeting with my district's Literacy Coaches, I saw an opportunity to introduce ChatGPT and help them understand how it could generate assessment prompts using a new technical format they had recently learned. The coaches identified a grade level and subject area, and I used ChatGPT to generate multiple assessment prompts. The prompts were not only coherent and grammatically correct, but they also perfectly fit the specifications learned at the training.

The coaches were amazed at the speed and accuracy of ChatGPT's responses. This was their first exposure to the technology. By demonstrating ChatGPT's capabilities, they were able to see the potential benefits that AI could bring to planning instruction.

With AI, teachers can quickly generate materials and assessments, saving time and allowing them to focus on individualized student support. Additionally, AI can analyze student data and provide personalized recommendations, helping teachers better understand each student's strengths and needs. By showing teachers these benefits through hands-on experiences early on, we can build their confidence and encourage more integration in the classroom.

I abandoned grading my students and stopped taking attendance. Here’s what happened→

J. W. Traphagan, a professor at the University of Texas at Austin, abandoned traditional grading and attendance requirements, opting for a self-evaluation system that eliminated busywork and replaced grades with an assessment of participation and a score assigned by each student to reflect their performance. Here are his takeaways:

First, I often hear that students are apathetic about learning these days. This is inaccurate. Students are, in fact, excited about learning.

However, they’re indifferent to or even bothered by the educational system’s incessant emphasis on quantitative measures and assignments that seem to have little or no value. Most students want to learn, but don’t see the conventional educational approach as providing a particularly good framework for learning.

Second, many students have experienced enormous stress and anxiety. High school can be a pressure cooker focused on grades, test scores, GPAs and getting into the right college. As a result, learning seems like a side effect of education rather than the goal.

My students consistently note that when they don’t have to anticipate the expectations of their professor, they can focus on taking chances in their writing and thinking. And taking chances often leads to true learning and mastery of a topic.

Finally, this experiment has forced me to think about intellectual rigor in the classroom. Is a system designed to generate stress through piling on work and being “hard” — whatever that means — rigorous?

Or is rigor about creating an environment where students enjoy the learning process and, as a result, willingly engage in broadening their horizons and thinking about their lives?

I think it’s the latter.

What are we willing to lose in order to change a child's life?→

Isabel Bozada-Jones, writing for EdSurge:

"If we are going to truly transform and improve education, all administrators, policymakers and leaders must let old practices die and imagine something better."

To create a climate and culture where “old practices” are replaced with “something better,” we must first provide school leaders with frameworks that openly acknowledge and tackle power dynamics within school systems that could hinder innovation.

Professional development, teacher mentor programs, student leadership initiatives, parent organizations, and community events all hold the potential for transformative change. However, these opportunities are rarely realized because school leaders often lack the necessary resources, training, or support to effectively confront power dynamics and promote innovation within their buildings.

Regarding Bozada-Jones' article, the question is: How can policymakers, business leaders, and district administrators collaborate to create frameworks and a community culture that empowers school leaders to envision innovative solutions instead of relying on outdated practices while acknowledging the existing power dynamics that cannot be overlooked?

Supporting Students to Ask More Questions May Narrow the Achievement Gap→

Lory Hough, writing for Harvard Ed. Magazine describes the finding of a study following 103 children aged 5 to 7 as they participated in a series of virtual science lessons, with one group being encouraged to ask questions and the other to listen carefully. The study aimed to determine whether encouraging children to ask questions or listen carefully would lead to greater learning and curiosity. Unshockingly, it did.

Furthermore, practice with question-asking was more beneficial for children with lower baseline knowledge, suggesting that question-asking shows promise for enhancing children’s motivation to learn and equalizing academic disparities.

Honestly, it's frustrating that we're still having this conversation: student-centered learning should not be a novel concept in 2023. And yet, there are still those who believe that this approach only “works” in advanced classes, or that it doesn't work for all students. This could not be further from the truth.

The Search for a Truly Individualized Education Model→

Chester E. Finn, Jr., writing for Education Next:

Let’s finally face the truth: Since kids move at different speeds, the amount of instruction that student Q needs in pursuit of mastery of a lesson, a unit, a 'grade level,' etc. will differ from the amount that student R needs, which means that, yes, they’ll face different quantities of schooling. That’s the alternative to the batch-processing of today’s age-based attendance-and-promotion systems. It means treating kids differently.

As much as I agree with the sentiment, there is still a lack of personalized learning models addressing the needs of all learners, particularly those at risk.

Online schools have made efforts to offer self-paced learning, but often fall short in providing the necessary support and resources for struggling students. These students may fare worse in online environments compared to traditional schools.

I am fully on board with the theory and the mindset that is required. We absolutely should have an education system that adapts to each student’s unique learning needs and provides the necessary resources and support to ensure their success. I’ve simply not seen it done effectively … yet.

Student Thinking vs. Student Engagement→

If I were developing a school leadership curriculum for new principals, this article in ASCD, by Jim Heal and Bryan Goodwin, would be required reading for the first day.

But there's another form of engagement that's all too common in many classrooms that cuts against these definitions: the illusion of engagement. Students may appear engaged—creating ornate dioramas, glitzy posters, exploding volcanos, or other "busy" projects, for example—but ultimately, they do very little actual learning or thinking about their learning.

Deep learning occurs when students are given the opportunity to answer authentic, challenging, and thought-provoking questions, and are invited to share their thought processes aloud. However, this kind of teaching is not easy. It requires content knowledge, skill, and flexibility to adapt to students' needs, as well as a significant amount of tenacity to resist students' attempts to do the minimum amount of work required for a passing grade.

Principals have a critical role to play in building a professional culture that promotes collaboration and problem-solving among teachers, while also keeping expectations for students and staff high. This is essential for creating an environment that supports teachers in their efforts to promote deep learning and meaningful engagement among their students.

Empowering Students to Own Their Education→

Alyson Klein, for Education Week, describes Synergy at Mineola High School:

So the Mineola team turned the district’s credit-recovery program, which had generally served kids in danger of not graduating, into a school that strives to give students far more say over when and how they learn, combined with career exploration, hands-on experiences, and mental health supports.

The Synergy program at Mineola High School is a school-within-a-school that allows students to have greater control over their learning experience. It is open to all students who want to learn in a different way. The unique aspect of the program is that it was originally designed to meet the needs of students who were at risk of not graduating, but it has also proven to be a great fit for any student who desires more autonomy and control over their education.

I’ve written about the benefits of districts investing in historically underserved schools and communities. Providing resources and attention to support students with the highest level of needs serves to create a more equitable education system while also creating a model for the rest of the district to learn from and copy.

Mineola is doing that at Synergy and students are responding. We all should do the same.